24/7 Emergency
Storm & Flood Damage Recovery in Grand Rapids, MI
The opening is closed, the water is extracted, materials floodwater touched come out, and the structure is dried and rebuilt in that order. The opening is closed first, with tarps or board-up, so the building stops taking on water. Floodwater is extracted, and the porous materials it touched come out rather than dry, since it crossed ground outside. The structure is dried and re-read, and the rebuild waits until the readings and the roof both allow it.
The pro who inspects is the pro who quotes
Often needed alongside
- Emergency Water Extraction
Standing water is pumped and extracted around the clock, before it climbs the walls and soaks the subfloor. Same-day response where coverage allows.
- Structural Drying & Dehumidification
Sealed air movers and dehumidifiers bring framing, subfloor and drywall back to a measured dry standard, with daily readings logged from inside the material.
- Sewage & Contaminated Water Cleanup
Sewage and black-water losses are contained, the materials the water touched are removed and disposed of, hard surfaces are disinfected, and the space is dried to a reading.
Frequently asked questions
What is the patch in the basement wall?
Almost certainly an old delivery chute. Houses of this age had an opening through the foundation for coal or for milk, and when they stopped being used the openings were boarded, bricked loosely or rendered over rather than properly filled. There is still a hole through the wall behind it.
How does water get through a closed-up opening?
Because most of them were not sealed, only covered. The material put over the opening is often not waterproof and not bonded to the wall around it, so ground water at that level moves through the joint between the patch and the original masonry. It arrives at one point rather than across the wall.
Is it worth dealing with properly?
Usually, and it is a small piece of work. Filling the opening properly is much less than drying a basement a second time, and the alternative is the same wet patch appearing at the next heavy spring rain. It is done while the wall is already open rather than as a separate visit.
Read it with the local conditions on the Grand Rapids page.